Clamp.



H. R. SGHWEINLER.

CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21,1908.

925,660. Patented June 22, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY R. SOHWEINLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK A. MILLS, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLAMP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY R. SOI-IWEIN- LER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps.

This invention relates to improvements in pressing devices for the pressing and creasing of garments while being worn, such, for example, as trousers, and particularly in clamps attached to a standard or support for holding the garment during the operation of pressing.

Other objects more or less incidental, as well as the means which I employ to attain these objects, will be clear from the following description, which sets forth a practical embodiment of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the application of my clamps to such a standard or support; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my clamp as it appears in position upon the standard; Fig. 3 is a plan View of the clamp in the same position; Fig. 4 is a section of the clamp taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the clamp showing both jaws engaging the garment, but only one engaging the standard; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the clamp engaging both the garment and the standard.

Referring in detailto the construction illustrated, 1 indicates an upright rod or standard, rectangular in cross section, to which are slidably attached a pair of press ing irons 2, adapted to enfold and crease a pair of trousers, indicated by 3. At the lower end of the standard 1 is a stirrup 4, in which the wearer of the garment places his foot during the pressing operation.

The features above described are no partof my present invention, but are set forth in order to properly show the application of my clamps thereto, which are indicated in Fig. 1 at 5. As applied to the standard, these clamps are two in number, both adjustably mounted upon the standard 1 and both adapted to grip the trousers, one at or near the top of the fold, and the other at or near the bottom.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, the clamp is formed of cast iron, or other suitable metal, and comprises the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 21, 1908.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Serial No. 454,027.

arms 6 and 7, which are pivotally connected at one end by a pin 8. The opposite ends of the arms 6, 7, have flat inner surfaces 6, 7 between which the fold of the garment is gripped, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The arm 6 has a recess 9 for engagement with the standard 1, and when the arms 6 and 7 are open, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the clamp and standard are loosely held together by a small metal plate 10 secured to the arm 6 by the screw 10. V jection 7 which is adapted to engage the exposed side of the standard 1. The clamp is provided with a cam 11, which is mounted upon one end of the bolt 12 extending through an elongated aperture 13 in the arm 7; the other end of the bolt 12 extends through an aperture 14 in the arm 6 and is secured by the nut 15. The cam 11 is pref erably formed with two oppositely disposed cam extensions 11*, 11", which are adapted to engage the outer face of the arm 7 when the cam is in one position, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and to swing clear of the arm when the cam is moved through ninety degrees more or less. The handle 16 is provided to efiect the movement of the cam, and by means of it, the clamping pressure may be readily applied or relieved.

It will be noted that the compression of the clamp is effected by the engagement of the cam surfaces with the edges of the clamping arm 7, the construction being such that the clamp is locked when the ends of the cam extensions ride up or on the outer surface of the arm 7. The arm 7 is provided at its pivot end with a lug 17, to the end of which is attached a coil spring 18, this spring being secured at its other end between the nut 15 and the arm 6. The action of this spring, it will be seen, is to throw the clamping arms open when the aressure of the cam is taken from the arm The action of the cam is such as to force the arms 6 and 7 together, and the construction of the outer surface of the arm 7 and of the cam extensions 11, 11 is such that hold is taken of the arm 7 by the cam surface 11 and, consequently, hold of the fold of the garment by the arms 6, 7, before the cam surface 11 rides up and takes hold of the surface of the arm 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The operation is as follows: The lower clamp is secured to the trousers at or near the bottom and is also firmly secured to the The arm 7 has a pro standard. The upper portion of the fold of the trousers is inserted between the jaws of the upper clamp when the latter is in the position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4:, and the handle 16 is turned upwardly until the cam extension 11 takes hold of the fold; the clamp, being still adjustable upon the standard, is now moved upwardly until the trousers are held taut, and then the handle 16 is turned farther on to the position shown in Fig. 6, when the cam extension 11 forces the projection 7 rigidly against the standard.

l Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A clamp of the class described, comprising two arms adapted to receive between them a fold of cloth, one arm having a recess adapted to receive a standard and laterally substantially stationary relative thereto,t-he other arm being movable laterally and adapted to engage the standard, as well as the cloth, and means for operating the movable arm, said operating means comprising a cam rotatably mounted on said stationary arm and adapted to engage the outer surface of the movable arm.

2. A clamp of the class described, comprising two arms pivotally connected and adapted to receive between them a fold of cloth, one arm being recessed to receive a standard and laterally substantially stationary relative thereto, the other arm being laterally movable with respect to the first mentioned arm and adapted to engage the standard as well as the cloth, and a cam adapted to force the movable arm toward the other arm and against the standard.

3. A clamp of the class described, comprising two arms pivotally connected and adapted to receive between them a fold of cloth, one arm being recessed to receive a standard and laterally substantially stationary relative thereto, the other arm being laterally movable with respect to the first mentioned arm and adapted to engage the standard, as well as the cloth, a cam adapted to force the movable arm toward the other arm and against the standard, and a spring for normally keeping the arms apart.

4:. In a device of the class described, the i combination with a standard of two jaws, l pivotally connected to each other, one of l said jaws being slidably mounted upon the i G. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a standard of two members pivotally connected to each other,one be ing slidably mounted on the standard, the second being adapted to grip with the first memher first a garment and afterward the standard, the second member having a lug and a spring attached thereto and to the first member for automatically opening the two members, and means for closing said members.

7 In a device of the class described, the combination with a standard of two jaws pivotally connected to each other, one being slidably mounted on the standard, the other being adapted to grip with the first jaw a garment and also the standard, automatic means for opening said members, and a cam member provided with two extensions, one extension being adapted to first close the jaws upon the garment, the other extension being adapted to close them upon the standard.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a standard of two jaws pivotally connected to each other, one being slidably mounted on the standard, the second being adapted to grip with the first jaw a garment and also the standard, and a spring connected to said aws for opening the same, and a cam member provided with two extensions, one of said extensions being adapted to first close the jaws upon the garment, the other extension being adapted to close them upon the standard. I

HENRY SCHIVEINLER.

lVitnesses LAURA E. SMITH, J. H. GOLDSTEIN. 

